Chapter 44: Where It All Began (Vol.1 end)

Only the endless storm remained.

And Xia Jiuwei herself, unable to stop.

Dark Otherworld energy continued erupting outward from her, forming a colossal black spherical tempest that never ceased.

How much time had passed?

At the center of the storm, Xia Jiuwei had long since lost all sense of it.

But if she stopped—

she could no longer tolerate this world.

So she couldn't stop.

Perhaps remaining here forever was the best possible ending.

Amid the endlessly surging emotions, Xia Jiuwei would occasionally think back to those brief, peaceful days.

The half-year she had spent living with Lu Nian'an in the real world.

...She's probably doing well now.

As for herself, what remained was likely nothing more than a twisted mass of resentment and corruption.

Just like this desolate Otherworld.

Something completely incompatible with reality.

So—

live well, Lu Nian'an.

At the deepest point of the storm, a figure still sat quietly in meditation.

Black energy continued pouring endlessly from her body.

The only things that remained visible were her dull violet eyes,

and her white hair, still striking even within the darkness.

"Mia... Mia..."

A faint voice drifted through the storm.

Looks like another hallucination.

Still...

it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.

The voice sounded so real.

Just as gentle and comforting as she remembered.

Gradually, whenever the storm inside her emotions briefly quieted,

she would hear that voice again.

And again.

Until one moment—

a figure stumbled through the storm.

Step by step.

Enduring.

Forcing her way forward.

Until she finally reached Xia Jiuwei.

Xia Jiuwei froze.

Standing before her was Lu Nian'an,

covered in wounds.

The moment their eyes met—

The tension that had never left Lu Nian'an's face finally loosened.

Only now did she dare believe it.

She had truly found her.

The next second,

all the pain and exhaustion she had been carrying for so long came crashing down at once.

Her body swayed.

Then all strength left her.

She collapsed forward.

In that instant,

Xia Jiuwei's mind went completely blank.

...Lu Nian'an?

The black storm stopped.

Completely.

Xia Jiuwei did not lose control as expected.

Nor did the storm erupt into the real world.

Her thoughts were racing chaotically.

Why was Lu Nian'an here?

How had she even found her?

Every thought was consumed by the person in front of her.

With trembling fingers, Xia Jiuwei reached out and gently checked Lu Nian'an's breathing.

...Alive.

She looked up.

The landscape around them had changed beyond recognition.

The original district had become a vast circular crater.

Farther beyond that,

the surrounding streets and buildings had long since been ground away by the storm.

Nothing remained except wasteland.

Slowly, Xia Jiuwei raised both hands.

Dark energy gathered in the air.

Gradually forming a small platform.

Carefully, she lifted Lu Nian'an into her arms.

As though afraid of breaking something even further.

Gently placing her down.

Then resting Lu Nian'an's head upon her lap.

"...Why?"

Xia Jiuwei whispered.

Lu Nian'an was wearing the coat Xia Jiuwei had left behind.

But now,

the coat she had once personally strengthened was tattered beyond repair.

Dark brown stains of dried blood covered its surface.

Beneath the torn fabric were countless crimson wounds that had yet to fully heal.

Lu Nian'an's regenerative ability remained astonishing.

Within minutes,

the wounds that had still been bleeding began to scab over.

Xia Jiuwei lowered her gaze.

Looking at the woman resting silently on her lap.

And suddenly remembered that moment when their eyes met.

What she had seen in Lu Nian'an's eyes had not been blame.

Nor anger.

But despair.

The kind of despair that comes from standing on the verge of losing everything.

The same despair Xia Jiuwei had felt when she lost her grandfather.

Her eyes lowered slightly.

Somehow,

she had hurt the one person she least wanted to hurt.

She had been wrong.

Terribly wrong.

Looking at Lu Nian'an's weathered face,

a bitter smile appeared on her lips.

Time seemed to lose all meaning.

She didn't know how long had passed.

Eventually,

the person lying on her lap stirred.

Lu Nian'an's eyelashes trembled.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

Her vision still blurred.

Supporting herself, she sat up.

And saw Xia Jiuwei.

Xia Jiuwei was already looking at her.

They stared at one another.

For a moment,

neither spoke.

"I'm sor—"

Xia Jiuwei had barely begun.

But Lu Nian'an suddenly leaned forward.

Gently shaking her head.

Stopping her from continuing.

Then she moved closer.

"Mmh—"

Soft lips met hers.

Xia Jiuwei's eyes widened slightly.

But she didn't pull away.

"I found you, Mia."

Lu Nian'an spoke softly.

Concern still lingered beneath her gentle voice.

She tightly held Xia Jiuwei's hand.

Her fingers brushed upward,

lightly touching the disheveled white hair behind her ear.

"This time, I'm not letting you run away again."

The moment she heard those words,

Xia Jiuwei's breathing trembled.

"I'm sorry... Nia."

She wrapped her arms tightly around her.

As if she was about to fall apart.

Her voice was hoarse.

Shaking.

"It must have been... so painful."

"I shouldn't have left you..."

Lu Nian'an said nothing.

She simply leaned quietly against her.

Resting her forehead against Xia Jiuwei's chest.

There was no sobbing.

Only warm tears silently soaking through the fabric.

Xia Jiuwei lowered her head and watched her in silence.

After a long while,

she let out a soft sigh.

The next moment,

a quiet snap echoed through the air.

The shattered world dissolved in an instant.

And the two of them returned

to the manor within the Otherworld.

The fireplace burned softly.

Warm amber light filled the living room.

Xia Jiuwei picked up a blanket and draped it over both of them.

They sat side by side before the fire.

Neither spoke first.

Occasionally, the flames crackled softly.

Filling the silence between them.

Perhaps time can never truly erase regret.

Yet even so,

some things must continue forward.

Xia Jiuwei looked down at Lu Nian'an beside her.

A thousand emotions tangled within her chest.

After a long while,

Lu Nian'an's emotions gradually settled.

The traces of tears at the corners of her eyes slowly dried.

Leaning quietly against Xia Jiuwei,

she suddenly spoke.

"You once asked me..."

"...what the meaning of my life was."

Xia Jiuwei froze slightly.

"...Yeah."

Lu Nian'an lifted her gaze.

The uncertainty that had once filled those dark eyes was gone.

Only clarity remained.

Along with unwavering conviction.

"I can answer you now."

She spoke softly.

“You’re the meaning of my life.”

Everyone wants to be saved by someone at some point.

But some wounds don’t heal just because someone says the right words.

The firelight flickered gently.

Casting warm colors over them both.

Yet it could not dispel the darkness hidden deep within Xia Jiuwei's eyes.

She remained silent for a long time.

Holding Lu Nian'an's hand.

Her fingers unconsciously tightening around it.

"I can't stop thinking about you either."

Her voice was quiet.

So quiet.

Yet a long pause followed.

"But..."

Xia Jiuwei lowered her head slightly.

White hair falling forward, obscuring half her expression.

"I can't endure this world anymore."

The fireplace crackled softly.

Her breathing grew uneven.

"I lost Grandpa."

"The United States took him from me."

When she reached those final words,

her voice finally trembled.

Like a wound she had kept buried for far too long,

being torn open once again.

"This world is too chaotic. I..."

She stopped.

Her knuckles turning white.

"I want to destroy it."

Silence fell.

The flames swayed gently.

Reflecting within those dull violet eyes.

Nothing remained there except immeasurable exhaustion.

"We may..."

"...never be able to return to our old life."

Xia Jiuwei gripped Lu Nian'an's hand tightly.

Yet she continued shaking her head.

Again and again.

Lu Nian'an simply rested against her shoulder.

After a moment,

she spoke quietly.

"If you've lost your family..."

She gently pressed her forehead against Xia Jiuwei's.

"Then let me become your family."

Xia Jiuwei froze.

"If the world feels too broken..."

Lu Nian'an slowly placed her hand over Xia Jiuwei's trembling one.

"Then I'll stay by your side..."

"...while we destroy it together."

She even smiled faintly as she said it.

As though discussing something completely ordinary.

"If life can never go back to the way it was..."

"Then let's build a new one together."

At the end,

she raised her head slightly.

Black hair sliding over her shoulder.

Her eyes met Xia Jiuwei's.

"Okay?"

Those few simple words

gradually calmed the chaos inside Xia Jiuwei's heart.

Little by little.

She stayed silent for a long moment before pulling Lu Nian'an into her arms again.

Resting her chin against her hair.

As though she had finally found somewhere she could stop drifting.

"Although..."

Lu Nian'an spoke softly.

"Do you really want to destroy the world?"

"If you did..."

"Would that actually make you happy?"

She looked up slightly.

Firelight reflecting in her dark eyes.

Xia Jiuwei didn’t respond.

She merely stared at the flames.

For a very long time.

Then Lu Nian'an suddenly smiled.

"Honestly..."

"We're probably not human anymore anyway, are we?"

Her smile was dazzling.

Almost painfully bright against the gray, lifeless Otherworld beyond.

Yet impossible to look away from.

She reached up and gently touched Xia Jiuwei's cold cheek.

“So…”

“I don’t want this world to keep changing you.”

“If anything… I want you to be the one who changes it.”

She paused.

Then intertwined their fingers.

Hand in hand.

"I hope..."

"...I can stay by your side."

"Watch this world together."

"And walk with you..."

"...into a future far, far beyond today."